Nurse labor dispute at Hawaii hospital escalates with 10 arrests
Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) — A recently elected state lawmaker is among those who were arrested outside a Hawaii hospital. Ten people were arrested Monday for blocking temporary nurses being bused in to work at Hawaii’s only women’s and children’s hospital. Temporary nurses have been filling in because the hospital in Honolulu locked out its unionized nurses after they went on a one-day strike. Contract negotiations are underway. The Hawaii Nurses Association says a key issue is safe staffing levels and wanting a lower patient-nurse ratio. The hospital’s CEO says they respect the right for peaceful protesting, but any demonstration cannot negatively impact patient care.
